But can the nearly broke Philadelphia School District afford to continue to expand the effort, which requires additional funds from the district's coffers?
Penny Nixon, the district's chief academic officer, called the results as highlighted in the Research for Action study "promising" but would not say whether the district would go forward with the Renaissance effort.
Renaissance Schools fall into two categories - schools given by the district to charters to overhaul, and district-run Promise Academies, which operate with extra per-pupil funding. The schools were the signature initiative of former Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman.
As the district's budget crisis worsened this school year, officials cut spending at Promise Academies and dismantled the central office responsible for running them.
There are 13 Renaissance charters and nine Promise Academies operating this year.
The district, which must close a $38.8 million budget gap by June and faces a shortfall of at least $269 million for next year, has solicited proposals for turnaround teams for a third year of Renaissance Schools.
Officials had said they would announce the turnaround-team finalists this week, but a district spokesman said Tuesday that the timeline has yet to be finalized.
School Reform Commission Chairman Pedro Ramos said last month that the district had not abandoned its commitment to the school turnarounds. He and others have signed on to the "Great Schools Compact," a document that promises to eliminate 50,000 seats in low-performing schools.
Philadelphia has already won $100,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and hopes to win more to do turnaround work.
Mayor Nutter, in a statement, seemed to signal that the Renaissance effort should continue.
